Operator Of Suburban Moving Company Is Subject Of Arrest Warrant, Numerous Consumer Complaints, But He Says It's 'Impossible'

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A suburban mover is so troubled that there is an arrest out warrant for him – and the federal government has stripped him of his ability to haul stuff across state lines.

He also has the worst possible rating with a prominent consumer group.

So wait till you find out the answers he gave to CBS 2's Tim McNicholas about his seemingly serious situation.

Bulls Moving says it is headquartered in an unmarked building in Gurnee. The company boasts online of "the best moving services in the U.S."

Lindsay Williams doesn't see it that way.

"Infuriated, angry," Williams said. "We really thought throughout the process that we may never see our things again."

The interstate moving company was supposed to get the Williams family's belongings from DeKalb County, Georgia to Colorado.

But in an email to CBS 2, police said the company refused to move the items from a Georgia storage facility "unless additional funds were paid."

The Williamses told police they had already paid "20 percent more than what they had contractually agreed upon with the broker."

Police helped the family finally get access to their stuff more than a month after Bulls Moving picked it up.

"Even to this day, I feel this sense of anger and sadness for my family and for the other families that are affected," Williams said.

Bulls Moving's Better Business Bureau page warns of a pattern of complaints about items damaged or not delivered. We have reported before on some of those complaints.

Back in the spring, a Navy veteran in Hoffman Estates told CBS 2 they lost a prized paddle with the actual ribbons and pins from his uniform.

"Anybody that's been in the Navy that knows once they get a paddle like that -- with your awards and a plaque and everything -- it's a big deal," Bill Schwartz told us at the time.

The company is run by a man named Rafael Ohanesyan.

DeKalb County, Georgia police said in the Williams' case, Ohanesyan committed a felony theft by conversion.

Ohanesyan said McNicholas was the one who broke the news to him in a Zoom interview.

McNicholas: "They say there's an arrest warrant."

Ohanesyan: "Never heard of it."

Ohanesyan denied much of the Williams' story, saying there were misunderstandings about the contract and he did not overcharge them.

Ohanesyan: "I'm very sorry about that Mr. Williams didn't understand, from the beginning, the process of the service. Then how can I be responsible, or how can I face criminal charges? Let me ask you this."

McNicholas: "I'm not the prosecutor or the police, but they say…."

Ohanesyan: "That's what I'm telling you guys. It's impossible."

He said many of the other complaints are also related to contract misunderstandings.

Then there was the misunderstanding with the U.S. Department of Transportation – the one that led the department to revoke the operating license for interstate moves for Bulls Moving. On a federal government website, big red letter read, "This carrier is out of service."

"This is another crazy story, Timothy," Ohanesyan told McNicholas. "I will tell you why we have been revoked. You will not probably believe me."

The feds list the reason as denial of access for an audit. Ohanesyan claims Bulls missed the audit because of miscommunication from the DOT.

McNicholas: "I think our viewers have a tough time believing this, that everything is…"

Ohanesyan: "No, first of all, I'm still surprised about what you said that I'm facing the criminal charges. This is the first thing that is in my head right now."

After the Zoom interview, McNicholas asked Ohanesyan about the Better Business Bureau complaints. He accused the BBB, without proof, of offering to remove the complaints and bump him up to an A rating – if he paid them more than $1,000.

The BBB categorially denied that claim, saying, "The mere suggestion that this business could pay a fee to erase a long-standing pattern of bad behavior is preposterous."

McNicholas: "It sounds like you're trying to convince me that you are the most unlucky man in the world."

Ohanesyan: "No, I'm very lucky… I love my job. I love to work with the people."

There is some good news out of all this. Within the past few days, Bulls Moving finally found Schwartz's missing military paddle - more than three months after it got lost in the move.